


Cold

by mideltone_one



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Fluff and Smut, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-22
Updated: 2017-01-22
Packaged: 2018-09-19 05:44:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9421142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mideltone_one/pseuds/mideltone_one
Summary: Robert has a cold night out and a warm welcome back.General fluff, set after Aaron and Robert are married and living in Mill.





	

**Author's Note:**

> All characters belong to ITV.

Robert hates the long days. He gets a kick out of making deals, always has, and when he's making them for the man he knows he'll spend the rest of his life with, it's even more special. It's a dark cold winter night and he can't wait to get inside, snuggled up with Aaron, who will probably complain about him being cold, before relenting.

It's country dark when he pulls up. He always tries to park a few hundred yards from their house, to prevent Liv complaining that she woke him up, and then using that as an excuse for a day off school, during which her tiredness will miraculously vanish. The tiny light in the car boot seems so feeble against the expanse of black as he drags his small suitcase out of it. He doesn't need to see his breath billowing like smoke to know how cold it is. Townsfolk, the people he's been wining and dining have no idea what cold really means, he decides, as he makes his way quickly to the house.

Being quiet is vital now. He lays the case on the step beside him and reaches into his pocket for the door key. The cold of the night is as nothing compared to the cold in his heart as he realises he doesn't have it with him. He curses under his breath, then tries to remember where he last had it. He curses again as he realises that it is in his thinner jacket, the one he decided not to wear just before he left. His key is snuggled down in a pocket safe and warm in the wardrobe. What to do? The B&B will be locked up like a fortress by now, not that Eric is ever the most welcoming of patrons, and the thought of a drive to Hotten to find a last minute hotel room is too much. He's pushed his luck getting home; it would be stupid to risk it further when he's so tired.

Given his history, he's been very clear with Aaron about security, which means there's no way he's going to get into the house without damaging it or himself, and waking everyone up in the process. On the other hand, he muses, it's possible his demands have fallen on deaf ears, which just this once he'd forgive. He picks up his suitcase and makes his way to the back gate. He opens it, noting the need for a padlock, and walks up to the back door.  
There's no success when he tries the kitchen door or the French doors which gives him a element of relief that at least his family is safe. Glancing around he sees the garden shed, its roof covered in frost. Not ideal, but it is shelter and he's already losing the feeling in his fingers. There is a lock, but he remembers that it can be easily bypassed. His numb fingers slow him down, but within seconds he is inside, the door closed behind him.

The temperature difference isn't great, but it's enough for him to be grateful being inside. He uses the light on his phone to get his bearings as there are no windows. He doesn't remember buying or bringing a deckchair, but there is one, which doesn't look great, sitting in the corner. “Oh well,” he says, greeting his bed for the night, “its just you and me.” Curled up as tightly as he can manage he closes his eyes and waits for tiredness to overcome coldness.

There are a couple of interruptions during the night, including a trip out of the shed to remove the remnants of the soft drinks and one beer he regrets having drunk. He promises himself that he won't look at the time as it will just depress him. He feels even colder as he makes his way back to the shed and the chair that is now mocking him with betrayed promises of comfort. Eventually he falls asleep again, once more doubled up to fight the cold.

~~~

He wakes with a spasm, hardly noticing the water from his own breath collecting on his upper lip as a bolt of pain shoots through his leg. Half asleep he was certain he'd be more comfortable if he just stretched his leg, and now he has cramp. His fingers feel like someone else's as they try to rub the ache away, interspersed by small movements and gasps of pain. The only glimmer of hope is the light leaking in through a number of gaps where the walls join the roof. He checks his phone, nearly six o'clock. In another hour Aaron will be waking up and he can get back in the house, back to warmth and comfort. He can't remember when he last felt this cold, and hopes he never will again. He closes his eyes though he knows he won't get to sleep again.

It's just a blink, but as he opens his eyes he can hear music in the distance. He picks his phone up, wondering if that is the source, and is shocked to see that it’s just after eight. As he struggles to stand up, it feels like the connections between his brain and his limbs have been impeded. He topples over a couple of times before he feels stable enough to walk. His back protests as he picks up the suitcase and makes his way to the back door. The sound of movement from inside is the most welcoming thing he's ever heard.

The wait for the door to open seems to last for ever, and he's concerned by the look on Aaron's face. “Good night were it? Kill you to let me know you was stayin’ over would it?”  
“I … I … d-d-d.” He starts to shiver now, any strength he had draining away.  
The look of annoyance on Aaron's face quickly switches to concern as he sees the open shed door behind Robert. “Were you in there?” Robert nods. “How long?”  
“A … a … all …” He could really do with getting out of the cold now.  
“All night? Bloody ‘ell Robert. You must be …” He pulls his husband into the house and shuts the door behind him.

“You look like shit,” says Liv from the hall doorway. When she doesn't get a reaction from either of them the smug grin on her face fades. “He's not going to die is he?”  
If he weren't so tired, Robert would shake his head mockingly. Fortunately Aaron is there to do it for him. “No Liv, he’s been outside all night, but he's just very cold and very tired.” Liv starts to speak, but Aaron cuts her off, “No, it's not a good idea for you to stay off school to keep an eye on him.”  
“But …”  
“No buts. You, school. And if I hear you haven't turned up I'll make sure you regret it.” Liv wants to reply but seeing the look on Aaron's face, she decides now is not the time to push her luck. “And you,” says Aaron, turning his attention to Robert, “hot shower and then bed. I'll bring up some tea and toast. Now go.” Robert manages to keep a smile from forming on his face. If he ever lets Aaron know how much he likes it when he takes control he'll never hear the end of it.

Aaron walks Robert to the bottom of the stairs, pushing Liv towards the front door. “Oi,” she complains, but Aaron’s having none of it.  
“School, now, or you'll miss your bus. And I have more important things to do than frog-march you there.” He gestures towards Robert to make it clear that his husband is the priority right now. Liv sighs and opens the door, quickly slamming it shut behind her. Normally Robert would be opening the door and shouting after her, but Aaron lets it go. “Do you need me to help you upstairs?” he asks.  
“I'm cold and tired,” says Robert, feeling more human again now he's inside, “not an invalid.”  
“But stupid enough to spend the night outside.” He raises his hand as he sees Robert about to reply. “We’ll talk about it later. For now just do as you're told and get in the shower.”

Robert makes his way up the stairs slowly. By the time he reaches the top he can hear Aaron on the phone. “Yeah, sorry mate, bit of a domestic emergency … no not Liv this time … Robert … got himself locked out all night didn't he … don't worry mate, I will, but I need to stay home and keep an eye on him … I owe you … well when baby Barton makes an appearance you'll get your chance.”

The water feels unbearably hot at first, but slowly he warms up, leaving only aches and tiredness. As he dries himself he hears footsteps outside, then Aaron saying, “there's a brew and toast in the bedroom. ‘Ave that and stay in bed. I'll check up on you after I've sorted some stuff out.”  
“OK,” he replies, surprised at how weak his voice still sounds.

It isn't until he smells the tea and toast walking into the bedroom that he realises just how hungry he is; his stomach gurgles in confirmation. Discarding the towel wrapped around his waist he slips under the duvet. The bed is cold, any remnants of the heat of Aaron long gone. A sip of tea helps to warm him and is quickly followed by a mouthful of toast, the best toast he's ever eaten. Tea drunk and toast devoured he shuffles down in the bed, pulls the duvet up around his neck and closes his eyes.

When he was a child and couldn't sleep, Sarah used to tell him he was over tired. He wonders if that's the problem now, as he's unable to drop off. The house is quiet, though he can hear Aaron moving around. He tries turning over but it makes no difference. It's a relief when the door opens and Aaron walks in. He looks over and smiles. “You not asleep? I thought you were knackered.”  
“I am,” says Robert, “but I just can't sleep.”  
“Well, if you're staying awake, why don't you explain to me what you was doin’ sleeping in the shed all night.”

Robert sighs. “It was really late when I got back and when I got to the front door I realised I didn't have my keys.”  
Aaron sits on the side of the bed. “So why didn't you just text me to come down and let you in?”  
“I didn't want to wake you up. When I rang earlier you sounded really tired.”  
“I hadn't slept well, was all.”  
“Which is why I didn't want to wake you up.”  
“And why would I not’ve slept well?”  
“Liv winding you up?”  
“No, well, yes, but no. What's the other thing that stops me sleeping well?”  
“Umm.”  
“You not being in my bed, you muppet.”  
“How would I know that?”  
“Yeah well, good point, but you know now, so promise me you won't do it again.”  
Robert leans forward and makes a Scouts salute. “I promise.”  
“Like the Scouts would ever’ve let you in.”  
“I'm offended,” says Robert with a grin, which turns to a wince as he leans back against the pillow.

“You alright?”, asks Aaron.  
“I will be. It's just my back that really aches. Those garden chairs are not designed for sleeping in.”  
“Who’d’ve guessed? You idiot.”  
“Wow. Easy with the compassion there mate. I can see why your career in nursing never took off.”  
“Yeah, I couldn't cope with all the muppets coming onto the ward.”  
“So now I'm a mu-” Aaron's phone ringing interrupts him.  
“Hello. No, I'm at home … no … no … well who else was it gonna be? Yeah, he was outside all night, forgot his key… yeah, that's what I asked … no, he's fine … that's what I said … I've gotta go … OK … bye.” He puts the phone down on the bedside table and looks over at Robert, “Mum thinks you’re an idiot too.”  
“I can see where you get your caring nature from.”  
“Cared enough to feed and water you,” says Aaron, standing up and walking round to the other side of the bed where the plate and empty cup are. “Better get these downstairs quickly.” Robert sighs. “Don't want you moaning at me again about mouldy tea cups do I?”  
“Even you agreed it was disgusting.”  
“Which is why I'm not gonna let it happen again.” He picks up the crockery and starts to move towards the door.  
“They'll be fine for a few hours,” says Robert, stopping Aaron by taking hold of the hem of his hoodie, “anyway, I can't sleep in this bed. It's too cold, so …”  
“So you want me to get you a hot water bottle?”  
“Ugh, God no, it makes my skin crawl just hearing you say it.”

Aaron grins. “Oh yeah, I'd forgotten about your stupid fear of ho-”  
“Don't say it again.”  
“You know, for a big tough businessman, you have some very odd fears.”  
“Well, you … you don't like snakes do you.”  
“OK, but some snakes can kill you. Worst thing your greatest fear’ll do is make you think you've wet the bed.”  
“Don't care. Not having one of those things near me.”  
“There's something else that would help warm it up,” says Aaron, putting the crockery down again, “as long as you don’t mind sharing your bed. I could do with forty winks meself.” He watches Robert’s smile return for the first time today. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

The room is quite cold, Aaron realises as he strips and gets into bed, but then he’s always hotter than Robert; perhaps that’s why they fit together so well. He turns around so his back is to Robert and slides over until they’re spooning. The temperature difference is noticeable, but he makes sure he doesn’t draw any attention to it, and within a few minutes they are both asleep.

~~~

Something wakes Aaron up, but by the time he has his wits about him whatever it was is long gone. He’s still surrounded by Robert, who seems to be back to his normal temperature, breathing slowly and evenly behind him. He reaches out for his phone, laid on the bedside table, and smiles when he sees the time is just coming up to midday. Who would have thought a couple of hours of sleep could make him feel so much better? “Oi, get back here.” Robert is apparently awake as well. Shifting back under the duvet, Aaron quickly realises just how awake his husband is as he feels something hard pressing into his back.  
“Somebody’s recovered,” he says with a smirk.  
“And that somebody would love to show his husband, his beautiful amazing husband, just how much he missed him.”  
Aaron leans his head back and they kiss; a slow, sensual kiss. When he breaks it there’s a sigh from Robert, which is replaced by a smile as Aaron turns himself over so they’re face to face. “As you've been out all night,” says Aaron, his finger circling Robert's chest, “I think I should do most of the work.”

Sometimes they have mock fights about who will top and who bottom. Mock in the sense that they somehow both know who needs to be the bottom each time. Aaron suggested one time that they should get a third guy in to give them both “a good seeing to” which was met by a look of shock from Robert. The shock turned to horror when Aaron started listing eligible bachelors and disgust when he suggested Ross Barton. Robert had gritted his teeth and asked “so you want the man who shot me to screw me?” Aaron had spent the next two hours protesting he was joking and that he didn't need anyone else in his bed, despite a feeling that Robert was over playing his level of annoyance.

There's no such play fighting this time though, as Robert lays on his back and Aaron straddles him. When he grinds his hips they both loose any chance of coherent thought, replacing it with groans and whimpers. Then Aaron pauses, with a vacant look on his face suggesting he has no idea what is causing him such pleasure. As soon as he moves again it's clear he knows exactly what it is. Robert loves watching his husband come apart as he reaches climax; loves that he is the one who knows exactly what to do to push him over the edge.

~~~

Robert wakes first, content to stay where he is, watching the weak winter sunlight pierce the curtains and land on Aaron's shoulder, picking up every fine hair. After a few minutes he gives in to temptation and places a kiss on the spot. Aaron shifts slightly and mumbles into his pillow. The second kiss elicits a clearer response. “What time’s it?”  
Robert reaches his hand out behind him, letting his fingers dance across the top of the bedside cabinet in search of his phone. “One o’clock,” he says eventually.  
Aaron rolls onto his back. “We should get up, ‘ave some dinner.”  
Robert stares up at the ceiling and blinks slowly. “It's lunch,” he says softly, “and I'd rather stay here with you.”  
“It's definitely dinner and if we stay in bed all day then Liv’ll come home and find us and we’ll never hear the end of it.”  
“Could we not consider a boarding school for her? Maybe abroad?”  
“One, we can't afford it and two, you'd miss her just as much as me if she went.”  
“I'd be prepared to test that theory,” says Robert, as he pulls back the duvet and gets up.

A shared shower later (because why not), they're sat in the living room with a pizza on the coffee table before them. Aaron is dressed because he lost the toss of the coin to decide who'd pay the delivery man, while Robert is in his dressing gown and pyjamas. Snuggling up next to Robert, Aaron finishes a mouth full of pizza before asking a question. “Now you’re back to normal, well as normal as you get-“  
“Oi!”  
“-I don’t get why you didn’t sleep in the car? At least you'd’ve had heating.”  
“You know I can't sleep next to a window.”  
“Oh yeah, that's right. Scared some monster’s gonna be staring at your face when you wake up. Why you insist on closing the curtain in our bedroom I'll never know. ‘Ow likely is it someone’ll find a ladder, carry it to ours, and climb up it, just to look at you?”  
“Could happen.”  
“Dream on, soft lad.”  
“Anyway, I wanted to be close to the house. That way I’d hear or see you moving around as soon as you got up and I could get inside.”  
“How would you see anything from the shed? Unless you kept getting up to check. And it didn’t work, did it. We’d been up a while before you appeared.”

Robert shrugs. “I was so tired I fell asleep and missed you getting up, but I did get up in the middle of the night. I had to pee so I went in the back garden.”  
Aaron snorts. “You said I was, what was it, oh yeah, uncouth, when I did that after our night out.”  
There’s a look of disbelief from Robert. “You were drunk and I had the door key in my hand at the time. Also, last night I wasn't singing Umbrella at the top of my voice. And I wasn't proud of doing it either.”  
“Yeah, well you knew what you were getting when you said ‘I do’.”  
“I did,” says Robert, “and I don’t regret it.”  
“Glad to hear it,” replies Aaron, lifting his head and planting a pizzary kiss on Robert’s mouth.  
“D’you wants to take this back upstairs?” asks Robert when the kiss breaks. His broad grin makes it clear he does.

Aaron picks up his phone and checks the time. “I would,” he says, seeing a smile appear on Robert’s face, “but it’s three o’clock. Liv’ll be back soon, and I don’t want her walking into the house and finding us at it.”  
The smile on Robert’s face fades. “Guess so,” he says glumly.  
“You don’t look fully recovered to me though,” says Aaron, “I think you’ll need to stay home tomorrow, and I’ll need to check in on you every couple of hours, make sure everything’s in working order.” The smile reappears on Robert’s face. “Anyway, you should get dressed while I tidy this stuff up.”  
“When did you become the tidy one?”  
“I blame you. I think it’s rubbed off on me.”  
“Hopefully I'll get to rub something else off on you again tomorrow.”  
You are a bad, bad man Robert Sugden.”  
“But …?”  
“But I love you.”  
“And I love you right back.”  
“Now get your arse-”, he sees Robert raise an eyebrow, “OK, your beautiful arse, up them stairs and don't come down until you're dressed.”

~~~

Liv arrives in a whirlwind, which, Robert guesses is the normal way she comes home. “You're not dead then,” she says, seeing him sitting in the living room.  
“Ten out of ten for observation, Liv.”  
“He's been taking it easy,” says Aaron from the kitchen.  
“Has he been fussing round you all day?”  
The two men talk at once. “No,” says Aaron, walking in.  
“Yes,” says Robert, “but I don't mind.” He exchanges a loving glance with his husband.  
As Aaron turns away, Robert looks at Liv and mouths ‘mother hen’ to her.”  
When she sniggers, Aaron turns and looks at her. “What did he say?”  
“Nothing.”  
“Hmm.” Aaron isn't convinced, but lets it go.

Liv dumps her bag on the floor, and slumps into the chair opposite Robert. After a moment she leans forward, “So why were you outside all night? Were you drunk?”  
“No, I drove home, didn't I. I'm not so stupid that I'd drive drunk.”  
“Well, what then?”  
“He forgot his door key,” says Aaron.  
“So?”  
“So it was late and I didn't want to wake you two up.”  
“Idiot,” says Liv, looking over at Aaron for confirmation.  
Robert fishes his phone out of his pocket and pretends to make a call. “Hi, Vic, they’re ganging up on me again. Can I stay at yours?”  
Aaron walks over and pulls the phone out of Robert’s hand. “Like anyone else would put up with you,” he says, placing a kiss on Robert’s lips before he can reply.  
“I’m being scarred for life,” says Liv, picking up her bag and walking to the stairs, “I’m gonna do my homework.”  
“We should do this every day to get her to do it,” says Robert, pulling Aaron in for another quick kiss.  
“I’m not having you sleep in the shed every night just to get Liv to behave,” says Aaron.  
Robert nods, “Fair point.”

~~~

It's been over a week since his “camping night” as Aaron now mockingly calls it, and as it's a quiet Sunday afternoon, Robert has decided to tackle an invading bramble from the land next door. When he opens the shed door he sees a small nylon bag sitting on the garden chair that caused him so much pain. On top of the bag is a note with his name on it, in Aaron's handwriting. ‘This is a polar sleeping bag,’ it says, ‘and if you don't wake me up the next time you're locked out you'll need it because you'll be sleeping out here all week.’ It sounds quite threatening until he sees what's written at the bottom of the page, ‘p.s.: you're the only tool I've got that doesn't belong in a shed. Now hurry up and get back inside. Your husband’s waiting to kiss you.’ As he glances back at the French windows he sees Aaron and Liv looking at him and laughing. The smile on his lover’s face is replaced by the words ‘I love you’ and what he thinks is ‘muppet.’ He wonders if the sun has come out, but the sky is still cloudy. He smiles as he realises the warmth he’s feeling is coming from inside. Suddenly the day’s not as cold as it was. 


End file.
